Halloween Update

Wow, what a busy time of year. Halloween has never been this crazy before! I think we dressed Canon and Savana in their costumes for one party or another about 5 times! It was almost as much work as Christmas! Ok, not really, but I felt like the two weeks leading up to Halloween were crazy! We went to Halloween parties with MOMS clubs, church, school and friends. And we even missed a few parties. I was too tired to hit them all. Then we topped it all off with the neighbors on Halloween night. After our effort to be sufficiently stocked with Halloween candy, we went to the neighbors for dinner and then I hung out there with Savana and the other moms while the dads took the kids trick-or-treating. It was quite a site. Many people had little bonfires in their driveways and were sitting out with their garages all decked out for the trick-or-treaters. Pretty fun. Canon came home with a full pumpkin and Seth has been getting his fill of sugar ever since. I've been doing my best to stay away and made Seth put it up high where I can't reach it. Except with my trusty stool when I am really in need :) Which I am happy to report I've not even used yet. Not that I need to. Sugar just seems to be plentiful in all shapes and sizes this month. All this candy and we still made pumpkin cookies. Canon kept bringing me his pumpkin asking me to make it into a pumpkin pie. (I think I need to thank Disney's Imagination Movers for this request) So finally I just put the whole thing in the oven and we are now fully stocked with pumpkin in the freezer. While I was cutting it up, Savana saw food and wanted it. She kept screaming at me and signing for food. So I thought if I gave her a bite she would think it was yucky and leave me alone. No such chance, she liked it and wanted more. Oh well, it's good for her. I sometimes wonder if she has taste buds or will just eat anything.

Classic Messes

I'm trying to make good on my promise to embrace the messes. Well, these ones were just too cute not to embrace.

Canon's time is spent on these couches doing something. Usually making things, but he did tell me he wanted to snuggle. I guess I wasn't fast enough, and he was tired. So he apparently made himself a nice snuggle pile. I heard him working on it, but didn't go see what he was working on until it was silent. Our couches are almost always in this state, but he is usually driving, flying or sailing them.

Savana is learning to feed herself. In fact, she won't let me feed her anymore. She wants to do it herself. I guess I need to find food that is a little less messy - but I'm sure she had fun. She likes to scoop things from one bowl to the next. If there is not a second bowl, well, she just scoops it to where ever it may land. Sadly enough, this wasn't the messiest it got yesterday. After she ate this dinner, she saw Canon sitting at his little table with some baked potatoes and she wanted to join him. Again, she began scooping, only this time it landed on the floor. I wasn't watching as close as I should have to that mess. Baked potatoes are kind of a mess to clean. They don't sweep or mop up very well. It is just a very tedious job of picking up each individual clump.

Fall Fun

I haven't added to our blog in a few weeks, so I wanted to write a little on what has been going on in our Grant world lately. Fall is in full swing here in Michigan. The weather is brisk and the leaves are falling. The trees are beautiful and creating a huge pile in our back yard. One of Savana's favorite games is to kneel tall and then do a belly flop into the leaves. That is actually her game a lot. She does a tall kneel and then belly flops into my lap, into pillows on the bed, and even across Seth or I if we are laying down in front of her. The picture of her above might be of her getting ready to do a belly flop or she might be just throwing the leaves up in the air, another favorite game. (I can't remember what she is doing) She does that with a ball in the car all the time, like she is playing catch with herself. She LOVES balls and anything round right now. When she sees balls, she does a high pitched baby babble, points and gets so excited with big eyes. It is pretty cute. She is starting to say a few words, but the thing that has stolen our hearts lately are the hugs and kisses. She does a cute little MMMMMMMMAA when she gives kisses to us and more lately to her dolls and stuffed bears. I love watching her reach for her stuffed bears and give them tight little hugs and snuggles. As far as the walking thing goes, we are still working on it. We are still going to the classes two times a week, and she is getting stronger. This weekend they let us bring home a little Savana sized walker. Apparently you are not supposed to help a baby walk with their arms above their head. Who knew. Amazing that anyone walks! Anyway, she loves walking with it. She just can't turn or back up, so if we set her walking, she will usually just keep going until she runs into the wall or a piece of furniture. The she screeches until someone comes to save her. I'm hoping that she is walking by Christmas! She will be 18 months old by then. Like a mom said to me, someone has to be at the bottom of the Bell Curve. Well, that is our Savana when it comes to walking. She is going up and down stairs, so I think there is hope.

Now on to Canon. He is growing up so fast. It is funny to see him becoming a little boy, and not a toddler anymore. He always reminds us that he is a little boy, and not a baby. Unless of course that day he is pretending he is a dog, or a cat or even an elephant. The elephant bit didn't last as long as some of the others because it required holding a shirt to his nose, which I imagine was kind of a pain. His days are spent on our couches making them into a rocket ship, or boat, or house, or dog house or just throwing all the pillows on the floor and jumping into them. He is constantly rescuing his stuffed dog, or the rocking horse from trouble. He even told me last week, as we were walking around the Fire Station Open House, watching all the firemen do their thing, that he wanted to be a Fireman when he grows up and rescue people. It was funny to hear that. That was the first time I've heard him talk about what he wants to do when he gets older. Actually I think he said "Mom, I want to go to work and rescue people." I wonder what he will do when he gets older. The thing that made us smile at each other today was when he was playing and he said something about a "freaking car". We both looked at each other and silently blamed the other for using that word. He is using phrases a lot that he hears in shows, books and that he hears us say. It really makes you remember that he is very aware of what is going around him. You have to be careful. Maybe thats why it's part of Heavenly Father's plan, to be a parent, it makes you have to be a better person, just for them. Canon also loves his weekly trips to the library. We go to story time and then check out a book, DVD or CD. This week I think was the biggest hit yet. We checked out a Little Einstein CD. He wants to listen to it ALL the time. He sits on his bed and just listens and then does the actions they call for. It reminds me of what little boys probably did before TV, sit and listen to their favorite shows on the radio. Soooo intently. If I go in and make any kind of noise, he tells me to turn up the sound. This morning we were laying in bed and heard him get out of bed, trip over a toy and then turn on the CD player himself, and probably jumped back in bed under the covers.

Well, I think I've covered the highlights. There are so many times during the week that they do stuff and I think, "I need to write that down." I'm trying to do better - because it will be fun to read when they are older. Well, Savana is in talking to her crib mobile, so I guess it's time to go get everyone ready for church. Have a great week!

Our First House Guests

So I guess the picture of the donuts & cider worked! We had our first house guests last week. Thanks for coming Gramps and Nana Lou! It was fun having you around for a few days. Canon's room became the guest room and Canon slept under our bed. (lest you think the picture above was of Canon in a cage, although that would be nice too :) Do you like Seth's foot?) Nana read him his night time story through the "bars". I only felt his head hit the bed a few times during the night :). Anyway, Canon was happy in the end (not that he hated sleeping under the bed - it was like a big cave!) because now he has a big bed. We bought another twin mattress, that became part of the king guest bed, but is now stacked with his other mattress to make a "big bed" for Canon.

The other pictures are just some fun shots of life in our new home. We are loving it. I promise I will take pictures soon. In other news, Savana qualified for physical therapy through the state last week. She scored 8 months old in locomotion, half of her real age, qualifying her for assistance. So our new busy schedule will include 1 1/2 hours of physical therapy 2 or 3 times a week. I'm actually most nervous about having to keep that kind of schedule. But we are excited to help Savana become a little more independent. She is very much a Mama's girl and loves to be very very near me. Mostly in my arms. Seth tells me not to spoil, I think he means pick her up, so much. But it is hard to listen to the crying at my feet all day, and when she crawls up to me, grabs and positions my feet towards her, and then reaches up to me with her fat little arms. It is hard to say no. Oh well, she is cute and hopefully she will love to walk soon. I'm hoping Canon will enjoy the little class he gets to attend while we are doing it as well.

Devastation

I found this text to a scrapbook page on a digital scrap booking site that I really liked and thought many of my friends and family would appreciate. I copied the text because this is exactly how I feel some days. Moving into a new house has made me want to keep it model home clean. After a couple weeks of constantly trying to get it clean, I've realized that is just not going to happen. But this text has made me want to stop and look at the "mess" a little closer and think about what was really going on at the time of it's creation, and even be a little grateful for it. (Even as a write this, Canon is in the kitchen "making cookies.") I've also committed myself to taking pictures of some of the most classic messes, I mean creations and journal Canon's creative thinking. First of all so I can look back when he is grown up and be more grateful for my clean house then, when I'm sad they are gone, and second so I can be more thankful for the messes now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still trying to get my home clean enough to take pictures so I can show off our new house, but I'm trying not to be as frustrated my the little messes everywhere.

Devastation

When I came downstairs this morning, if I had to give one word to describe the “devastation” which ran through the entire house, it would be abandoned. Whatever activity that had passed the day before lay before me almost as if a moment in time had been paused momentarily.

With two of you now to make the mess, I admit I just can’t keep up. I can spend my entire day cleaning up after you both and you follow right behind me undoing everything that I just put straight. I cannot begin to describe my frustration, and because you often go to bed when I do, I neither have the energy nor the inclination to tidy up at the end of the day. Hence, the abandoned scene that not just welcomed me this morning, but every other morning for the past week, month, even year.

But as I nurse Luke from my chair and look around, I no longer see a mess, but the creative play of my children. I see the sun catching a dainty pink shoe in the middle of my kitchen floor left by a practicing princess, a slice of plastic pizza placed on my desk just in case I might be hungry, several abstract art pieces placed with love on my refrigerator, a baby tucked up sound asleep by her nurturing Mommy, a building block placed precariously on a DVD and a juice cup abandoned in a quest for more play. Yes, it is a mess for sure, but I’m not sure I would have it any other way.

I am beginning to realize how quickly the years will pass. It will not be long before you have families and homes of your own and my longing for tidiness will come all too quickly. While I find it hard to cope with now, I find comfort in the fact that it’s a reminder, even when you’re sleeping, that you are never too far away.

It's That Time!!

We made our first apple orchard trip today. We love apple orchards. They are almost always more than just an apple orchard and a lot of fun. The one we went to today with the MOMS Club had a tractor ride to the apple orchard where we picked apples. Then we came back and ate pumpkin donuts with apple cider. After getting sticky enough that the bees were following Canon a little too closely, we escaped to the play area where they had John Deere tricycles. The MOMs Club of Wixom has a lot of boys Canon's age. In fact all the kids that went today were boys age 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. Notice the tricycle traffic jam in the picture above. Savana was the only girl - but that is OK, there are a lot little baby girls her age at church. There were also goats to feed and a hay maze. If it sounds like fall heaven - it is. You should come visit. I included a picture of the donuts and apple cider just to entice everyone a little more. September is the perfect month in Michigan. Still nice and warm, but all the fall stuff is in full swing. True, the leaves haven't quite turned, but there is a taste here and there of fall leaves. I also took the most beautiful drive yesterday to Stake Conference, which is right next to the temple. It is a 40 minute drive along the most beautiful tree lined streets and some of the most amazing houses, all lined up along the lakes. After that, you could swing down to Kirtland OH for a day and take in the church sites. Sounds like fun, huh? Just book your stay early at the Grant Bed and Breakfast!

Moving in and Moving up!!

Yes, we are getting moved in. It is a TON of work. I can't believe we had all this stuff in our apartment. Moving from our apartment was like the the loaves and fishes. There was more, and more and more. And just when we thought we had the last car load done, there was somehow enough to fill one more car load. But now that we are completely out of our apartment, we have begun the process of putting all that stuff away. It is fun to have ample storage and places for everything. Not only that, we have a basement and a garage!! Now we just have to be careful not to fill it all up with stuff we don't need. I'm just happy not to have the bikes in and the piano out of the bedrooms. When we finally get everything put away, we will post pictures of our new home. The added bonus to moving and trying to get everything put away is that I have been climbing up and down two flights of stairs fifty times a day. Every night my legs are dead and my "stair climbing" muscles are stiff. I guess it will get me in shape for hiking mountains when we come visit.

In addition to our wonderful new house, we are learning that we have moved into a great neighborhood as well. It may not sound like a big deal, but this neighborhood allows fenced yards and has sidewalks on both sides of the street, a rarity in this area. I can send Canon out back, or if he wants to ride his tricycle he can ride on the sidewalk rather than the street. We've also been told that we need to stock up on Halloween candy. Apparently this is the neighborhood that everyone brings their kids to for Trick-or-Treating. Probably because there are a zillion kids in this neighborhood. We met many of our new neighbors and have one family from the ward that lives just a few houses away.

Now for the kid update. Canon loves his new house. It has a loft that looks over into the family room that he likes to pretend is his tree house or his pirate ship or whatever else fits his imagination for the day. Last night he was a dog and was crawling everywhere. Since dogs don't sleep in beds, but in dog houses, the picture of Canon above, is of him sleeping in his make shift dog house last night. I didn't know if he would really last there all night, but he did. We'll have to see if he does that again. Wouldn't it be great just to be able to sleep anyway. Even all night on the floor! Savana is still just our sitting princess. She loves to sit on the Winnie the Pooh car and push all the buttons and "dance" to the music. She has figured out how to go backwards a little, but she is really just happy sitting there. She is getting fast at crawling and has started to stand up more finally. But her balance is truly that of a 6 month old baby standing on your lap. She actually took walking steps while she was holding my fingers today for the first time. Usually when she stands with her feet planted in one spot, as if she had no idea that they were supposed to move and walk. She does love wearing her shoes though. In the morning when I get her dressed she always grabs her little leather shoes and hands them to me so I can put them on her feet. What a funny baby. It will be interesting to see how long it takes her to walk on her own.

More Family Photos

We finally updated our family photos to include Savana. I was kind of waiting until she wasn't just a baby blob on my lap. She may still be on my lap, and has apparently decided that she is OK with that, I would actually be really surprised if she took her first step before 18 months, but she is far from a blob. She is fun. Canon is modeling his new backpack. He takes this back pack to his keyboard class that he is currently taking. It also has wheels so he pulls it along behind him. He is a cute kid. He can't wait to use it when he goes on the plane to see Nana and Grandpa.

Our New Family Photos

Kirtland OH

A few weeks ago we took a day trip to Kirtland OH, a 3 hour drive from here. It was really cool. It was neat to learn what had happened in Kirtland while being there. For me it helps define what happened where. We saw the room that housed the School of the Prophets in the Newel K. Whitney store, and the rooms that were home for Joseph and Emma for a while. My favorite part was seeing the Kirtland temple. It isn't currently owned by the Church, so listening to their presentation was a little different, but walking into the temple was still a neat experience. It was amazing to think what had gone on there, and also sad to think that the early saints had to leave it all behind just to be taken over by others. After seeing the sites we got lunch and ate the best frozen custard we have found since leaving Nielsen's in Bountiful behind. Too bad we would have to drive 3 hours to have it again. I guess someone will just have to come visit, so we have an excuse to go to Kirtland again to see the sites and have some frozen custard.

Pretty in Pink

I haven't done any "scrapbooking" in probably nearly 6 months. No pages that I have actually finished anyway. But I decided I wanted to relieve some stress (or cause myself more because I'm doing this instead of everything else I should be) and scrapbook the pictures I took of Savana, to show Aunt Robyn, which of EmiLee's 10,000 pink dresses, I stayed up Saturday night putting new elastic in, so Savana could wear it. (That was a long sentence.) She looked cute. And yes, she is just as noisy as she looks like she might be in these pictures. For such a cute little thing, she has learned to yell to get the attention she is looking for, and to just yell when she sees a camera.

She Crawls!!

Thirteen months old and Savana decided that it was OK to crawl. She isn't very fast right now, but we are OK with that. We are glad that she is crawling. Now the pediatrician and physical therapist can rest at ease and we don't need to get x-rays on her hips. Her crawl reminds me of one of those little wind up crawling dolls. Her little bum wiggles slowly back and forth as she gets to where she is going. I think she is enjoying her new found freedom. Her favorite things to chase are balls. But she would much prefer that someone sit and play catch with her. She reminds me of a puppy that wants to play catch. She could sit and do it all day, once you start with her, you kind of feel bad quitting on her. I think we need to find a dog that likes to play catch and get them together. Jason and Carrie - can we borrow Buddy for a while?

Happy First Birthday

Happy Birthday Savana!! Wow - a year. I wish we could bottle her up and keep her one year old forever. She is so much fun. She has what I like to call "Savana parties". She just sits in her car seat or high chair and laughs or talks her little baby talk. Until she wants food, which is often, then it isn't so sweet - it is actually quite loud. But she is fun. She loves to snuggle in her blanket and nuzzles into you by pushing her forehead into your forehead as hard as she can. It's so cute.
Milestones: OK, we are still way behind in this area. But I don't mind at all. What one year old can you just sit on the table and not worry about her crawling off. Maybe she will take her first steps or even her first crawl when she turns two. Won't it be ironic when she is an Olympic runner or something. She is finally getting her first two teeth this week. Yea!! She is going to have teeth after all. So she may not be able to walk - but she will be able to chew gum.

Real Life Farm

I joined a MOMS Club here in Michigan. It has been fun because it has given me the chance to find things to do around here that I wouldn't have known about. In April we went to a place called Real Life Farm. We liked it so much we joined up with the second group of moms who went in May. You can never have too much tractor riding, horse riding, goat feeding, pig chasing, cow milking and tractor climbing. And of course they had a sandbox full of sandbox toys. It doesn't get much better. It was fun to see how much more Savana enjoyed the second trip. In just one month she was so much more aware and interested in the animals. She wanted to touch the cows, pull the kittens fur and "AHH" at all the animals.

Strawberries!

I've done enough posts about what cute little Savana is not doing, that I wanted to give her a thumbs up for finally deciding that it is OK to feed herself. Yeah!! I do have to leave the room or pretend I'm not looking, or she just wants me to feed her the little pieces instead. I don't blame her, it is a lot of work getting those fat little hands to cooperate. She can gum almost anything now. 11 months and no teeth. Oh well. She has also finally taken over the sippy cup. Double Yeah! It is just nice to know that she is truly getting enough to drink during the day.

Duck Duck Goose . . . Swans!

Along with all of our spring weather, we've been enjoying . . . ok, tolerating the abundance of geese in our area. I first thought they were pretty cool. But now that they have babies and are even more aggressive than usual, they scare me a bit. Seth thinks I'm crazy - but I've been known to change my running route - to avoid having to chase a couple of geese off the side walk. They use to just kind of waddle out of the way - but they are standing their ground more right now and then they open their mouths and kind of hiss at you. I'm really not willing to call their bluff. I'm not sure what they will do to me. :) I'm sure as the eggs all hatch and the babies grow up - they will go back to just slowly waddling out of the way.

This morning there was a pleasant surprise on our pond. Two big swans have taken up residence. I hope they stay all summer. It seems when the swans are around, the geese move out of the way. Which also probably explains why we only see a few ducks. There are way too many geese, and the geese move them out of the way. Perhaps the game Duck Duck Goose was invented by Michiganders. (Yes, that is what they (we?) are called. Maybe like a gander of geese?) Now I know why the Goose is the one who chases! Maybe I will start playing Goose Goose Swan with Canon in hopes that it will bring more swans to our pond. Anyway - I thought they were kind of cool. As the geese and swans were dipping their heads under the water, Canon asked if they were washing their hair.

Kids - What goes through their minds??

This is just a quick post with no pictures - sorry Seth. But I just had to write this one down. Canon has a set of Cars books - from the Disney movie Cars. Each book is written in first person about a different character: Lightening McQueen, Sally, Mater and Doc Hudson. For the longest time now, Canon wouldn't let me read the first and last page of Lightening McQueen's book because he didn't like me to say "Kachow!" I guess I wasn't cool enough or something. But last night, as we read our bed time stories on the cooler, turned treasure chest, he specifically told me that I could read McQueen's story and say "Kachow!" I guess I'm cool enough now?? I wish I knew what his thought process was. He is such a funny kid.

Spring in Michigan

Spring has finally sprung. Yes, the weather has been warming up and the rain has been pouring down, which means all if finally green in Michigan. These pictures are at one of Canon's favorite parks. The "Castle" park as he has so appropriately named it for the wooden play structure that looks like a castle. The pond that Canon, Savana and Seth are standing next to is up next to a cute little pioneer town that is in the park as well. Yea, we wouldn't mind living in a house like the one by the pond.
Let's see, what is new with the family. Savana is still not crawling, or rolling or even just getting into the sitting postition from laying down or doing any of that other stuff that most babies like to do to get in trouble. We did take her in for her evaluation with the school district. They asked me if she listens to me when I tell her "no." Yea, I don't have to tell her "no" to anything. She just sits there and shakes her head back and forth with the cutest smile ever! We're trying to encourage her to role around a bit more - bit she is really just content to play with what is within her reach or watch Seth and Canon wrestle. The results of her evaluation were pretty much what I expected. Nothing really wrong, they are just going to give me some exercises to help her strengthen the muscles necessary for crawling and such. Oh well, it was fun to watch her perform all the "age appropriate" tasks. Stuff that I hadn't really ever thought of to do with her. Poor second child.

Canon is becoming a funny little 3 year old. He has started arguing with me about almost everything. Canon: Mom, I want some orange ice cream. Mom: We don't have orange ice cream, we have green ice cream. Canon: Yes, there is, I want the orange ice cream. Or I thought this was kind of funny. Canon: Mom, this is a popsicle (pointing to the bar of soap) Mom: No Canon, that is a bar of soap, if you put it in your mouth, it will be yucky! Canon: Yes it IS a popsicle. Mom: OK - eat it. Canon: No Mom, this isn't a popsicle. Mostly he seems to argue with me about hard facts, like whether it is night time or not or whether the sun is shining or the sky is blue. Crazy kid.